Phone calls

Ok, just got a call from a friend but didn't answer. I do this a lot and wait for them to leave a message because I'm afraid it will be bad news. Not sure what bad news to be expecting just afraid to answer the phone. Now he didn't leave a message so I worry about why he called in the first place. Does anyone else do this?

all the time but with facebook chat and messages

I don't get worried about them but I figure I pay for the phone so I don't have to answer it unless I want too.....sometimes I just plain do not want to talk...if they leave a message maybe I will call them back or maybe I will wait a day....I like my privacy at times and the phone certainly interrupts that...actually 99% I have the ringer off anyway....

If someone phones that I don't want to talk to right now or a number I don't know calls, I don't answer. They can leave a message if they want to or not. I'll get back to them when I feel like talking. There are days when I just don't feel like talking. There are times I don't want to talk to certain people. I have a friend who keeps inviting me to her church and I don't want to go, so I'm not answering her calls right now. There's lots of times when I don't answer the phone. I will answer if my kids call or if 2 of my best friends call. Anyone else, probably not.

A lot of the time I won't answer the phone, unless it's the doctors office... It doesn't matter WHO it is, sometimes I look at the caller I.d. & sometimes I don't. If they want to leave a message fine if not fine. Just don't feel like talking cause I would have to explain the question... "are you ok?".........

All the time, I thought it was just me! Leave a message and I will call back in a few days. There are days when I just don't want to talk to anyone even myself! lol!

I am actually the COMPLETE opposite, i dont even understand how you cant answer the phone.
I HAVE to answer everything withheld caller, i cant stand the thought of never knowing who it was that called.
If a friend calls me, and i'm not in the mood to talk, i'll let it ring off, (we dont ever leave voicemails round here) but i will text them straight away pretening i'm in the bath or something and if its important text me it.
But 9 times out of 10 i will always answer my phone.

I'm not sure why I don't, sometimes just start to feel anxious and think something must be wrong for no reason at all. It's been like this for a while then of course I couldn't sleep very well because I was worried about why they had called. Of course I never did call them back or text so now I'll wait and see.

i am no one who can talk about the way your mind works with anxiety and the odd things people do.
but i would feel so anxious waiting to find out why someone had called, hence why i always answer, or text them straight after to know why.

I do this all the time. I am afraid to answer because I think it is some disaster, but then I worry about what it was.
Usually I just let them leave messages, and when I think I can deal with it I listen to the message, if there is no message I figure someone called to chat.
I am a social worker so when I get calls at work it is usually a crisis, so when I am home, I don't like to talk on the phone, and often can't deal with it.

I hate it when the phone rings. It only rings 3 times before it goes to voicemail, but each ring is like nails on a chalkboard. It always startles me (hyperviligent) and frankly I don't really like talking on the phone unless it's my sister or one of my few select friends.
I can't even tell you how many numbers I have blocked. There are days when I don't want to talk to anyone, not even the cats. The ones that count understand.

I frequently don't answer the phone or reply to texts, or simply fail to show up for social events. It's because talking to people, and acting like a 'normal' person, sometimes seems like too much. I don't know what to say, or how to behave, so I ignore. My closest friends understand and give me time - maybe a "hope you're okay, I'm here when you're ready to talk" text after a week or so.

I never answer my phone unless it's from my husband from work.

I let them leave a message and if I feel like talking to them, I will usually call them back in my own time.

I hate answering the phone...just to much work.

I get anxiety every time the phone rings. When i am depressed one of the very first things i stop is answering my phone. I feel that if it is an emergency or truly important (not that anything is actually important)they will leave a message, mostly they do not...and i know (especially if it's my family) that they are just going to ask me if i am ok...and i hate that. However...they also know me very well...and they all know that when i am depressed i NEVER answer....so they have started to trick me by leaving a message saying "TINA IT"S AN EMERGENCY CALL ME BACK"...and then i do...and then they ask me how i am..sneaky bastards.

Anyways...yes i understand anxiety when the phone rings and yes i understand the desire to not answer. I guess the difference is...you care it might be important...and i dont care.
You could always just turn the ringer off and have a blissfully ignorant day?

It seems like forever when the phone rings but I don't like answering either I don't like talking on the phone because I tend to be quiet and never really have anything to say so the calls die and eventually they stop calling and then it feels like you don't matter to them and then you feel sad and angry and forgotten....it goes on and on

I would do this if anyone called, but not because of thinking it would be bad news. Only calls are from the boss, and I answer those (with dread) because it's the only way to have shifts.
Calling is far worse. Even for the simplest things.

I hate texting too. It's like getting interrupted 20 times a day. And I think it's rude. I got ride of my cell phone too. I don't want to be accessible 24/7.

Hi I'm also guilty of doing this I just let the answer machine to pick the call up incase its something to worry about. I also hate calling places such as doctors or companies,I don't know why but I've done this for years
Take care
JK

I have huge issues making simple calls too, like doctors, phone company...anything...i procrastinate until i feel so sick.

I do this also!! Not because I am scared of bad news but I never want to talk to anyone, and certain times I need to hear what they are calling about before I decide I want to talk to them. It makes me feel I have control.

I often never listen to my voicemails they have left also, I am afraid it will be something I don't want to hear. I end up deleting alot of them without listening and pretending like the phone call never happened.
And I wonder why I have no friends ?!?

I am so glad to hear I am not the only one! Just because a bell rings, does not mean I have to jump. Or talk to you.

I hate to answer my phone. I don't even know why I have it??????? I never call anyone expect doctor appointments and bills. Guess for my kids -

if it's someone i don't want to talk to i just ignore the call all together. but it's pretty rare that i don't answer the phone. i have to be in a pretyy bad state or just to busy to not answer.

I am really, really bad about this. I do not answer my phone 90% of the time unless it is my husband or my kid's daycare or school...and even then I sometimes have to force myself to answer. I think it stems from my severe social anxiety and it has gotten worse and worse over the last couple of years. My friends and family get really annoyed with me over it and used to think I was just deliberately ignoring them, but it's not that...I just have a really hard time conversating with people in real life and over the phone? My husband often jokes about why I even bother having a iPhone when I don't ever answer it!

Also, I have a very hard time having to make phone calls. Even calling a pizza place or calling to resolve a bill issue or something is very difficult for me, so I usually make my husband do it. I have no idea why it has become such a 'phobia' for me. Lord knows I was on the phone 24/7 when I was a teenager.

On the other hand, I can text and email just fine. As long as I don't have to physically talk to someone, I'm okay. Weird.

ETA: Thank goodness for online ordering! LOL...I love it when I can order food/make appointments, etc online on a company's website so that I don't have to physically call...I believe EVERYTHING should have this handy feature!